BETA
This is a new service – your
feedback
will help us to improve it.

Southfields Academy
English (25TS)

QTS full time with salary

Accredited body

Southfields Academy Teaching School SCITT

Financial support

Salary

Qualification

QTS

QTS (qualified teacher status) allows you to teach in state schools in England.

It may also allow you to teach in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. You should check with the institution you’d like to teach in for confirmation. The status of QTS in these countries may change after the UK leaves the EU. Please check GOV.UK for updates.

To teach in the rest of the UK or internationally, you may wish to consider a ‘PGCE (or PGDE) with QTS’ qualification instead.

About the course

The School Direct Salaried route is ideal if you are confident in your subject knowledge, have some experience of working with young people and are looking for a ‘hands on’, school-based experience from day one. N.B. An online Subject Knowledge Enhancement course is offered prior to starting training, if available. (If you particularly want a PGCE you should choose the School Direct Tuition Fee route).

Our course provides a balanced mix of professional practice and academic study through the year. You will undertake directed tasks as well as research-based assignments focusing on key aspects of teaching and learning to develop you as a reflective practitioner. You start by observing departmental and other colleagues, then undertake supernumerary teaching and class support until you are ready to progress to teaching your own classes.

All our study sessions are delivered by experienced teachers and trainers, mostly in-house, but we also bring in consultants and guest speakers. You will cover all essential topics including: professional role & responsibilities, lesson planning, differentiation, homework, assessment of pupil progress, behaviour management and Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND).

We aim to make the sessions interactive and engaging. You will be encouraged to share your classroom experiences, take part in role-play and deliver short presentations with other trainees. Sessions come with handouts and online resources and are recorded on DVDs which you can borrow. We give you the key textbook along with the course handbook and other materials. We also have a reference library to give you even more tips on teaching.

You will have access to:

a Professional Tutor - based at the Teaching School who will guide you through the course, explain tasks and assignments, observe your teaching and review your portfolio;

a Subject Mentor - within your employing school, who will provide subject-specific advice and meet with you weekly to plan your training, review your coursework and give you feedback. Your mentor will also provide regular progress reports to the Teaching School;

the Teaching School team – always on hand to answer queries, follow your progress, liaise with your mentor, carry out joint observations of your teaching and tackle any cause for concern.

Your final assessment (usually in June) includes observation of your teaching, an examination of your portfolio of evidence and interviews with you and your mentor.

We have salaried places at St John Bosco College.

Interview process

The recruitment process will be carried out by the Teaching School in co-operation with its partner schools.

If selected for interview on the basis of your UCAS application, you will spend a day or half-day at the potential employing school. You will normally observe a class and/or be asked to deliver an activity or short lesson to a class. You will have a formal interview with staff from the partner school and a representative from the Teaching School to establish your level of knowledge, your skills and enthusiasm. Your qualifications and ID documents will be checked and you will sit a short maths test and a written test. (These are not the same as the ITT Professional skills tests in Literacy and Numeracy which you must also pass before you can take up a training place).

We usually make a decision on the day of the interview.

How school placements work

You will be employed as a supernumerary, unqualified teacher by the school which is offering the training place – either Southfields Academy or one of our partner schools - and will undertake teaching practice and other duties (e.g. pastoral role) at that school. You follow the normal school timetable. However, each week you will be released to attend General Professional Studies sessions at the Teaching School (usually on Thursdays).

At the Teaching School you meet other salaried trainees, plus our School Direct fee-paying trainees and university PGCE trainees on placement. This makes for a lively and mixed cohort in our sessions. There is a kitchen, with some refreshments provided, and an area to relax and get to know the other trainees.

On days when the Thursday sessions finish early (they are front-loaded over the training year) you can return to your employing school or stay to use the Teaching School facilities.

You will have a shorter second placement (c. 2-3 weeks), usually at a contrasting school, such as a school with a different demographic or a special school. You have some personal choice as to your second school – it does not have to be within our partnership.

Salary

You will be paid by your employing school. The minimum pay is point 1 on the unqualified teacher scale (currently £21,911 but likely to increase by September 2019).

You cannot claim a bursary in addition to the salary.

There are no fees for this course.

Financial support

Financial support isn’t available for this course because it comes with a salary.

If you choose a course without a salary, you may be eligible for financial support while you study, including bursaries, scholarships and loans.

Requirements

Qualifications

A Bachelor degree at Honours level (minimum 2:2 or equivalent).

The majority of your degree in English, English Literature or a closely related subject.

Strong grades at A level (or equivalent qualifications).

GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics at grade 5 or above (or grade C or above for previous grading structure) or equivalent.

You must obtain UK NARIC confirmation of equivalence if you have an overseas degree and/or overseas secondary/high school qualifications which you are citing as equivalent qualifications.

If you have any queries about your eligibility, please contact us to discuss.

Personal qualities

You should be passionate about your subject, a creative thinker and a confident communicator. You need adaptability, a willingness to learn and the ability to work collaboratively with fellow trainees and school colleagues.

You should show commitment to working with young people of all skills and abilities and a professional attitude. You should have some knowledge of current educational issues.

Other requirements

You will be subject to additional checks by the employing school before you receive a contract of employment (e.g. enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check and occupational health check).

You must pass the ITT Professional Skills tests as laid down by the Department for Education.

About the training provider

Southfields Academy Teaching School SCITT has a history of employment-based teacher training going back to 2000. In July 2011 we were awarded National Teaching School status and we were one of the Teaching Schools to pilot the School Direct route.

We have the advantage of being both an accredited ITT Provider and a Lead School, so training is genuinely school-led. Trainees are immersed in school life and supported by experienced teaching and training practitioners. We currently offer:

• A School Direct Salaried programme leading to QTS;

• A School Direct Tuition Fee programme, with our university partners, leading to a PGCE and QTS;

• Placements for university PGCE trainees.

In addition to Southfields Academy itself, we have a partnership of schools in SW London including: St John Bosco College, Richmond Park Academy, Ashcroft Technology Academy, Linden Lodge School and Hampton High School.

You will receive subject training and teaching opportunities at your employing school or placement school. You will meet a range of other trainee teachers in our mixed cohort and you will gain experience with a diverse mix of students over your two school experiences.

We are a smaller Provider, with a friendly, experienced team able to provide you with a high level of personalised support. Each year our trainees leave us as good or outstanding trainees teachers, fully prepared to teach in the real world. You can read testimonials on our website

We are conveniently located in SW London and easily accessible by underground, rail and buses.

Training with disabilities and other needs

All schools have policies on Accessibility, Disability and Equal Opportunities which comply with the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation, and apply to trainee teachers as well as other staff and pupils.

If you have mobility issues, there are lifts at Southfields Tube station and Earlsfield rail station and the 156 bus from Wimbledon-Clapham Junction stops right outside Southfields Academy. Car park spaces can be arranged for disabled trainees. The Academy has lifts and level-access routes within the building.

If you are deaf or hearing-impaired, reasonable adjustments can be made. Southfields Academy has a specialist Hearing Support Centre for deaf students so the technology is state-of-the-art and includes touch screen computers, iPads, video cameras and interactive touch screen boards in teaching rooms. Audiological equipment is also the most up-to-date, with personal FM systems (and wireless microphones) available for all. We have previously had trainees who use a sign-language interpreter.

If you have a learning difficulty we will help you to access the training. All resources can be adjusted e.g. for colour and size of print. We have previously supported trainees with dyslexia.

Please feel free to discuss any concerns you have about the facilities and physical environment, either at Southfields Academy or our partner schools.

Support and advice

Get support and advice about teaching

Register with Get into Teaching, the Department for Education’s free support and advice service, for personalised guidance from teaching experts. They can help you to prepare your application, book school experience, and access exclusive teaching events. You can also call them free on 0800 389 2500, or speak to an adviser using their online chat service, from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

Website support

If you have feedback or have had a problem using Find postgraduate teacher training you can contact us by email.

Is there something wrong with this page?

For personalised support and advice about teacher training, register with Get into Teaching.
You can also call them free on 0800 389 2500, or speak to an adviser using their online chat service,
from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.